A Brand New World
by RavenclawGirl29
Summary: Hotaru Tomoe gets pulled back in time to Feudal Japan, there she befriends a young demon slayer named Kohaku. She knows he carries a lot of guilt from his past on his shoulders. Hotaru must try to alleviate that guilt while she fights to keep both of them alive despite the constant threat of Naraku. Rated T for talk of suicide/self sacrifice.
1. The Meeting

It was just an ordinary Tuesday morning for Hotaru Tomoe. She was running around the house collecting all the books and things she would need for the day. "Setsuna-mama, have you seen my school bag?" Hotaru shouted.

"No, where did you leave it last?" A voice replied.

"Uuuummm...I think the kitchen?"

"I put all of the stuff from the kitchen in your room." Setsuna responded.

Hotaru sighed and ran down the hall. But she halted at the entrance to Setsuna's bedroom. There was a strange light in the closet. "Mama, what's that blue light in your room?" Hotaru yelled.

"What are you talking about?"

Curious Hotaru moved closer, suddenly an ugly, malformed beast materialized from the light. "YOUMA!" Hotaru screamed, falling back. She didn't have time to transform before the youma jumped at her, trying to attack. Pluto's garnet rod, which was sitting in the corner, seemed to sense Hotaru's distress and acted immediately to protect her. It flew between her and the youma, it intercepted the monster's attack but the force behind it caused the garnet orb to shatter. A blinding light enveloped both Hotaru and the monster.

"GET DOWN!" Someone shouted. Hotaru didn't even have time to register what was going on. She just obeyed the voice and tumbled out of the way. She felt her knee hit a sharp rock and cut open, which was the first thing that told her she was no longer in her house. She looked up just in time to see a scythe tear through the youma.

It dissolved into dust after the scythe hit it. Hotaru stared in shock, trying to gather where she was. She was outside, though not any outside she knew. She seemed to be in a big open field surrounded by woods. The sky was way too clear to be anywhere in Toyko.

"Are you okay?" Hotaru looked over, a boy was running over to her. He must have been the same one who shouted and threw the scythe. He was about her age, with brown hair tied up in a top knot, and a face full of freckles. He had big, kind brown eyes. He was wearing a black, skin-tight suit with muted green shoulder and elbow pads tied on with teal pieces of cloth. Hotaru was too dumbstruck to speak at first. The boy reached her and knelt in front of her. "You're bleeding." He stated.

"What? Oh...It's fine." Hotaru replied, looking down at her scratched knee, which had now produced enough blood that it ran all the way down her shin and onto her shoe.

"Here." The boy said. He untied the teal cloth from around his waist and used it to wrap up the injury.

"Thank you." Hotaru said, though she could have easily healed herself.

The boy smiled, "My name's Kohaku." he said, offering her his hand.

"I'm Hotaru." She replied taking it. She felt something off about the boy, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. He seemed kind enough, but something wasn't quite right about him.

"You're pretty far away from the nearest village, Hotaru. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I'm lost." Hotaru said. "I'm not entirely sure how I got here, to be honest."

"Where are you from? Maybe I can help you get home."

"Tokyo."

Kohaku seemed to be thinking. "I don't think I've ever heard of that village. Is it by the coast or inland?"

"Never mind." Hotaru sighed, "I don't think I'll be able to get back anyways." Worry quelled up in her stomach. Where was she? She felt like she was still on earth and Kohaku was speaking Japanese, but if she was still in Japan, how could he not know where Tokyo was?

Kohaku gave her a sympathetic look. "What about your family?"

Hotaru shrugged sadly.

"I'm sorry..." Kohaku said, "I lost my family, too. But you can't stay out here on your own. It's too dangerous. There are a lot more demons where that one came from."

"I can hold my own against youma." Hotaru replied. "That one just caught me off guard."

"Even so, you shouldn't be alone. Why don't you come with me?"

Hotaru blinked in surprise. "Are you sure."

Kohaku nodded, "I know how terrible it is to be alone." He told her, "I'm sure Lady Kikyo won't mind."

He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it. "Thank you..." She said. He smiled. His smile put her at ease somehow. It made her feel like everything was going to be okay. He pulled her onto her feet. And guided her through the forest.

"Kohaku, is that you?" A voice asked. They came into view of a very beautiful woman sitting in a tree, she had long black hair and was wearing a traditional miko outfit, similar to the one Rei wore when she worked at the shrine. Hotaru stopped in her tracks, something was _definitely_ off about her. Hotaru was Sailor Saturn, the Guardian of Death and Rebirth. She could tell when people were dying or about to die, she could also tell when someone was dead. This woman was dead. And she had been for a long time.

"Lady Kikyo," Kohaku said, "This is Hotaru, she's lost. I was wondering if it was okay if she traveled with us for a while."

Kikyo gracefully got down from the tree and walked over the the two kids. "Hello, Hotaru." She said.

Hotaru just stared, rather rudely. Kohaku nudged her. "H-hello, ma'am." She stuttered.

"Kohaku and I are traveling down a very dangerous path." Kikyo commented, "It would be safer for you to find a new village and make your home there."

"I'm used to danger." said Hotaru, recovering from her shock. "I can handle myself."

Kikyo nodded, "I sense a great deal of power from you. I have no time to babysit, but if you're confident that you can keep up and take care of yourself then it would be good for Kohaku to have a companion his own age."

"Thank you, Lady Kikyo!" Kohaku said with a big smile.

"Thank you, ma'am." Hotaru said, bowing respectfully.

"We must be moving on, now." Kikyo stated. "I feel Naraku on the move again."

"Alright." Kohaku said. Kikyo swiftly turned and started walking away, Kohaku followed. Surprised at the suddenness of their leaving, Hotaru had to hurry a bit to keep up with Kohaku.

"Don't you have any bags to pack or anything?" Hotaru asked.

Kohaku shook his head. "Neither of us have any possessions." He said, "If we did it would be to difficult to travel."

"I suppose that makes sense." Hotaru replied.

"By the way, you have a strange kimono." He said, "It's almost like someone else I know. Where did you find it?"

"Huh?" Hotaru looked down at her outfit, "This isn't a kimono. It's my school uniform."

"School uniform?" Repeated Kohaku confused.

"Haven't you ever gone to school?"

"I've never even heard that word before."

Hotaru blinked, where the Hell was she that he had never heard of school?! "Never mind." She said, "Where did you learn to kill youmas like that?"

"I'm a demon slayer." He said, a hint of pride in his voice. "My family came from a village of demon slayers. I've been training since I was a kid."

"Why didn't you stay in your village than?" Hotaru asked curiously.

Kohaku looked down, "My entire village was destroyed..." He admitted.

"Oh..." Hotaru said sadly, "I'm sorry to hear that." 

"That's why I'm traveling with Kikyo. So I can find the man who destroyed it and avenge them."

Hotaru didn't reply. Personally, she didn't believe in vengeance, violence only breeds more violence. But that didn't mean she didn't understand it. If someone was to kill her family, she would probably want revenge too. She wasn't sure what she would do in Kohaku's situation. She just took his hand. He gave her a tiny smile. They walked in silence for a little while.

After about ten minutes passed, Hotaru started singing under her breath.

"_Just as a place of shining light must fall into shadow,__  
__Every thing that lives must someday die,__  
__But do not be sad,__  
We will __be born whole once again, __  
Our l__ove will be reborn anew._

_To a brand new world we will go,_

_To a brand new world..."_

She noticed Kohaku was staring at her, even Kikyo had turned to listen. She realized she must have been singing louder than she thought she was. Her face turned bright red and she looked down in embarrassment. "Sorry..." She said.

"No." Kohaku said, "Don't apologize, you have a pretty voice. You should keep going."

She smiled, blushing even harder, if that was possible.

"Where did you learn that song?" Kikyo asked.

Hotaru shrugged, "I don't know, I guess I've just always known it. I think someone used to sing it to me when I was a baby."

"Your mother, maybe?" Suggested Kohaku.

Hotaru shook her head, none of her parents sang much. Michiru would sometimes play the violin for her, and Haruka would occasionally join in on the piano. But none of her parents liked singing. "No, someone else." She wondered maybe if it was a memory left over from when she was Princess Saturn.

"You should keep singing." Kohaku said again. "I haven't heard anyone sing in a long time."

"Alright." Hotaru replied, she started singing again. After she went through about five songs, her throat started to get sore so she had to stop. She and Kohaku talked on and off for a majority of the next few hours. She really liked talking to him, he was interesting, even though she felt like he was trying to hide something from her. Kikyo didn't join in their conversation, even when she was invited.

"Don't be offended," Kohaku told Hotaru. "She don't like to talk a lot." 

"If I have something to say, I will say it." Kikyo stated, "But I feel no need to fill every moment with ideal chatter."

_Maybe it's a miko thing._ Hotaru thought to herself, Rei wasn't a fan of small talk either.

The sun had started to dip below the tree line before Kikyo decided to stop. "Why don't you two find yourselves some food." She suggested. "We'll stay here for the night."

"Alright." Kohaku said. "You can stay here with Kikyo if you want, I'll hunt for both of us."

"I can help." Hotaru said. She didn't particularly want to be alone with Kikyo. "I know a lot about edible plants and what not." Her and Chibiusa had taken a few scout classes together.

"Alright." Kohaku replied, "If you're sure."

The two went into the forest, Hotaru started scrounging for sansai. She found hasukappu berries and filled up her pockets with them, sucking the sour juice from her fingertips whenever she accidentally squeezed one too hard. She was sure that Setsuna-mama would be angry at the two purple stains that were blooming on either side of her skirt, but she couldn't worry about things like that right now. She also found a bunch of kogomi and gathered as much as she could fit in her arms. Kohaku had disappeared further into the woods, so she headed back to Kikyo. The miko had started a fire but wasn't sitting by it. She was leaning up against a tree about fifteen meters away. A couple of strange glowing creatures had appeared by her. They looked almost like long thin dragons, only they were pure white and let off a soft light. They were stunning and Hotaru couldn't take her eyes off of them.

"They're soul collectors." Kikyo said, noticing Hotaru.

"Huh?"

"These creatures. They're soul collectors." Kikyo explained. "From the way you stared at me when we met, I gather that you sensed that I no longer belong in this world."

Hotaru kicked at the ground with the toe of her shoe. "I suspected..." She admitted, not wanting to be rude.

"It's true, I died many years ago. This body you see now was created out of clay by a witch in attempt to use me against her enemy. But I can not keep this form forever. For now I borrow the souls of the deceased to keep myself 'alive'. Though eventually that will stop working and I'll die for good. I just hope I can complete my mission before then."

Hotaru wasn't sure how to respond, what she blurted out probably sounded incredibly childish. "Does it hurt? Walking in the world of the living?"

Kikyo cracked a very small smile. "That's what you are concerned about? Whether or not I'm in pain?" Hotaru nodded, that was the only thing she could really do anything about. "It's uncomfortable, but manageable."

"Here." Hotaru said, she deposited the kogomi she gathered on the ground and went over to the miko. She knelt down and put her hand on Kikyo's chest, then closed her eyes. Her hands grew warm as she focused on drawing the woman's pain away from her. Kikyo sigh told Hotaru that it had worked at least a little.

"Thank you." Kikyo said. She didn't ask how Hotaru had healing powers, but then again, a living dead priestess probably couldn't judge whether or not something was weird.

Hotaru went back to the fire and started separating her food into two piles. She wondered if there was a lake or river anywhere around here so she could get something to drink. Kohaku came back carrying a dead rabbit. He sat down by Hotaru and started cutting the meat into pieces, skewing them with sticks, and roasting them over the fire. Every few minutes he would pull the stick back and test the meat with his fingers to check if it was down. When he was satisfied they were done, he gave one of the sticks to Hotaru.

"Thanks." She said, she pushed his pile of berries towards him. "Here."

"Thank you." Kohaku replied with a smile.

Hotaru took a bite of the meat, "I've never eaten rabbit meat before. It's gamier than I thought."

"Do you like it though?" Kohaku asked.

"Mmmhmm." Hotaru nodded. It wasn't bad at all, the texture would take some time to get used to, but still decent. After they finished eating, Hotaru stretched and yawned widely. She found a soft patch of grass near the fire and curled into a ball. "Goodnight, Kohaku." She said, "Goodnight, Lady Kikyo."

"Goodnight, Hotaru." Kohaku replied.

Hotaru closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

**Author's Note: ****Thank you all for reading. Sorry if there are some mistakes, I haven't gotten a Beta yet. **

**Extra credit to anyone who knows where the song Hotaru sings is from. Double extra credit if you get it without the help of google. Please review **


	2. Sins

A few days passed and Hotaru kept traveling with Kohaku and Kikyo. She and Kohaku became fast friends, talking during most of their time together. He seemed starved for socialization, like she was the first person he had really been able to talk to in a long time. He was quick to laugh or joke with her, but every now and then, when he didn't think she was looking she would catch a hint of darkness in his eyes.

Her relationship with Kikyo improved exponentially after she had used her healing powers to lessen the miko's pain. But she would be lying if she said that the stern, silent dead woman didn't still make her a little uncomfortable. She had also managed to gather somewhat of an idea as to when she was. The way Kohaku spoke and the lack of technology made it pretty clear pretty fast that she had traveled back in time, and she was starting to conclude that she was probably somewhere between 1400AD to 1600AD.

The third day they were together, Hotaru took a chance by transforming in front of her companions. She was afraid they might find it weird and drive her away, but luckily Kikyo was indifferent to her powers, having sensed she was unique the moment they met, and Kohaku found it cool. "You can do that whenever you want?" He said in amazement. "That's why you said you could handle demons on your own!"

After about a week, she was scrounging for something to eat in a field when she found a large melon big enough for both her and Kohaku. She was sure this was probably a farmer's crop, and felt a little bad for stealing, but was too hungry to care. She hurried back to find Kohaku, he was perched in a tree not to far away from where they spent the night, probably trying to hunt. "I found us breakfast." She announced, holding up the melon for him to see. Kohaku smiled widely.

"Great." He said, "Nothing seems to be running my way today."

"Maybe you'll do better tonight." Hotaru said encouragingly. She climbed up the lower branches of the tree to join Kohaku. It was hard while keeping hold of the fruit, but she was dexterous and managed to make it. "Here." She said, holding out the melon. He cut it in half with his scythe and each of them got a piece. Hotaru swung her legs back and forth idling, taking bites out of her breakfast. She had something on her mind but she wasn't sure how to say it. She finally decided just to blurt it out.

"Hey, Kohaku..."

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something, and will you promise not to get mad..."

Kohaku looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

"How did you die?" Kohaku blinked at her but didn't respond. "You died, didn't you?" Hotaru continued. "I could sense something odd about you the moment we met, but I wasn't positive until Kikyo told me that she was dead too and I realized it was the same feeling only to a lesser extreme. Your body still functions, but it shouldn't. Somethings forcing you into life, isn't it?"

Kohaku looked down sadly. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out." He admitted.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I went out on a job to slay a demon with my sister, father, and some other men from our village. It was the first job I ever got to go on. Nobody realized it was a trap. Once we got there, a demon named Naraku possessed me, probably because I was the youngest and most vulnerable, he forced me to kill my father and all of my comrades. I was killed by the guards of the palace we went to protect." He looked down. The memory was obviously still very painful for him. "My sister survived and started traveling with a group determined to defeat the Naraku, so he resurrected me by putting a shard of the sacred shikon jewel in my neck and attempted to use me to blackmail my her. I did a lot of terrible things when I was under his control. I killed a lot of innocent people. When I was finally able to break free I met up with Lady Kikyo, who is able to keep the shard purified so I won't fall under Naraku's control again."

Hotaru wasn't sure what to say. She could never imagine Kohaku killing anyone, let alone his own family.

"If you want to leave, I understand." Kohaku mumbled. He was still looking down, picking at the cuticle of his thumb, something Hotaru noticed he did whenever he felt uncomfortable.

Hotaru looked at him in surprise. "Why would I leave?" She asked, "You're still my friend. Nothing will change that." She took his hand. "Everyone has a past, myself included. But if you were under a demons control, it wasn't really you. I mean, you didn't want to do it, right?"

"Of course not!"

"Then it's not your fault. You were just a victim."

Kohaku didn't reply. Hotaru wished she hadn't brought the topic up.

She took a breath and looked down. "I understand how you feel," She said.

"No you don't. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

Hotaru shook her head, what she was about to tell him she had never told anyone outside the senshis before. Now she was the one looking down at her hands. She couldn't bare to look at him while she admitted her own past. "A long time ago I lived in an kingdom called the Silver Millennium. And there was a war, a bad war. No one was able to stay out of it. The enemies we were up against were absolutely ruthless and didn't show mercy on anyone. My parents both knew they were coming to attack our home, so before they arrived my mother trapped me underneath a fallen pillar and told me to keep quiet. I watched from there as the enemy slaughtered everyone who lived in our castle. My parents, my friends, everyone..." She clenched her fists at the memory from her past life. Unlike the other senshis who only had vague memories of their past lives, she remembered hers in perfect clarity. To her the memories of growing up as Princess Rhea on Saturn were just as real and clear as the memories of growing up as Hotaru Tomoe on Earth. She could still picture being a frightened little 6 year old, huddling underneath the rubble as the blood of the citizens of Titan Castle spread across the floor, staining her dress red when it reached her. Even after everyone was dead, her mother's protective shield had kept her trapped. She had waited for two days, curled up in a pool of blood until finally Uranus had found her and lifted the barrier. "After my mother died," Hotaru continued, "I had to take her place as the guardian of our home. I was still just a kid, but I had no choice but to become a soldier. We fought so hard against the enemy, but it was no use we were out numbered 100 to 1. Soon we realized there was no hope left, and the only way we could possibly stop the enemy was to completely destroy the kingdom all together taking everyone with; soldiers and civilians. I was the only one with the power to do it. I begged my Queen to find a better way, but there wasn't one, so I followed my orders. I killed everyone. Enemies, allies, adults, children, it didn't matter. Once I unleashed my power I had no way of controlling it. No way of differentiating between friend and foe. Nobody survived."

She wasn't sure how she expected Kohaku to react. Scared, appalled, angry maybe. She didn't expect to be pulled into a hug. She was motionless for a second, surprised that he would hold her so tightly after she confessed she had the blood of an entire civilization on her hands. After the shock wore off she wrapped her arms around him in return. "I guess we both have sins to carry." He said simply. They sat like that for a long time until Kikyo found them and told them they had to get going.

**Author's Note:**** This chapter got a bit dark, and warning, it's just going to get darker from here. I'm not sure if I should add a few fluff chapters not just to fill in some of the gaps, but also as a resting period to just spend with the characters when they're happy, because if you know Inuyasha, you know shit will start to hit the fan pretty soon. Let me know if you think I should or not.**

**Anyways, thank you to for the two people who reviewed the first chapter, it means lots to me. No one recognized the song, so no bonus points were given yet :( but there's a second chance in this chapter, anyone know why I decided to make Hotaru's princess name Rhea? Astronomy and mythology geeks should know :)**


	3. The Village

A steady hatred for Naraku started growing in Hotaru's stomach the second after Kohaku revealed to her the way he died. She later learned that the same demon had also killed Kikyo by manipulating her and the man she loved into fighting each other. Those deeds alone were enough to make him one of the most detestable creatures Hotaru had ever heard of, but it wasn't until a week and a half after arriving in the past that he cemented himself in Hotaru's mind as possibly the worst creature that had ever inhabited this planet.

It was about mid day and everything seemed normal. Hotaru and Kohaku were splashing about in a river, Kohaku was attempting to teach Hotaru how to fish (which she wasn't very good at).

"You can do it!" Kohaku encouraged. "I'll chase some fish over towards you. Don't let your shadow fall over them, then be fast!" He stomped towards her, scaring a bunch of fish down stream to where Hotaru was waiting. She shot her hands down into the water and her fingertips skimmed across the slimy body of a passing fish, but she wasn't able to grasp it. She tried for another one but her feet slipped on the wet rocks and she fell butt first into the river. Kohaku doubled over laughing.

Hotaru pouted, "It's not funny!" She said.

Still chuckling, Kohaku walked over and helped her back to her feet. "I'm sorry, I've just never seen anyone as hopeless at fishing as you. I thought you said you used to fish with your parents."

"I did!" Hotaru said indignantly. "But not with my bare hands. We had rods and nets and things."

Kikyo appeared by the river, "Come, you two." She said. "It's time for us to get going."

"But we haven't gotten anything to eat yet." Hotaru objected.

"There is a village not far away from here." replied Kikyo. "You can eat there."

"It's not like we'll catch anything now." Kohaku pointed out, "We've scared away all the fish."

Hotaru reluctantly agreed, though her stomach protested. She and Kohaku dried off their feet and put their shoes back on before following Kikyo.

They walked for about two miles, Kohaku playfully teasing Hotaru about her dismal fishing skills for most of the way. They were just about to reach a village when both Kikyo and Hotaru froze. "Can you sense that too?" Hotaru asked.

Kikyo nodded. Hotaru had felt a large amount of death and destruction ahead of them. Hotaru and Kohaku both raced ahead, Kohaku had drew his scythe from behind his back. Hotaru transformed into Sailor Saturn. They arrived at the entrance to the village to see all most all of the houses destroyed. Bodies littered the ground.

"Look for survivors!" Kohaku shouted.

Hotaru could already sense that besides herself and Kohaku there was only one other living person in the village, and even that soul was just barely clinging to life. She hurried towards the survivor. In a half demolished barn, she found a small boy around 7 or 8 gasping for air. She fought her way through the wreckage to get to him.

"Wh-where's...m-my...m-mother..." he whimpered, tears falling from his eyes, "I-I...w-w-wan-t...m-my...moth-er..."

"Shhh..." Hotaru said trying to soothe him, "It's alright, you'll be okay. But don't try to speak." She passed her hand over his body trying to gauge if it was possible to heal him. Her heart dropped, the damage to his internal organs was too extensive. She didn't have nearly enough power to repair them. Even if she could some how get him to a modern hospital, he was beyond saving. He would die in a matter of minute, maybe a half hour tops. He started coughing, blood dripped from his mouth. She put her hand on his chest to calm the fit. "It'll be alright." She promised the crying boy. "Just try to relax. You'll see your mother very soon." The hand she had on the child's chest glowed a soft violet light she tried to sooth the boy into sleep, "Everything will be alright..." she repeated, as peacefully and painlessly as she could, she coaxed him into death. Gently leading his soul from his broken little body. His soul form a warm glowing ball of light in her hands. "I hope you can find happiness in your next life." She whispered before she sent the soul on its way to be reborn.

She turned to see Kohaku standing in the doorway. She knew he must have seen what happened, and she knew that he would understand that it was her power that ultimately claimed the boys life. "I couldn't save him." She said, realizing that tears were gathering in her own eyes. "I didn't want him to suffer any longer than he had to..."

Kohaku just nodded and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "It's okay." Kohaku told her. "Come on. There's nothing else you can do here." He helped her to her feet and guided her out of the barn.

When they were outside again they saw Kikyo shooting an arrow into the sky. Both of them turned just in time to see the arrow shoot down a large, wasp-like insect.

"Saimyosho!" Hissed Kohaku, his fists clenching.

"What?" Asked Hotaru.

"Those insects!" Kohaku replied, "They're called Saimyosho. They're servants of Naraku!"

"Naraku did this," Kikyo said.

"He destroyed this entire village?" asked Hotaru, "Why? What's the point?"

"I don't know." Kikyo admitted, "But this isn't the first time he slaughtered a whole village just to serve himself."

Hotaru felt sick. How horrible did a person have to be to do something like this?

"We have to get going." Kikyo said, "The sooner we can destroy Naraku, the sooner we can end this senseless violence."

Hotaru looked around, "Shouldn't we bury these people?"

Kikyo shook her head regretfully, "I wish we could, but we haven't got the time."

Kohaku put his hand on Hotaru's shoulder. "Someone else will come along." He promised, "But it's more important for us to find Naraku."

Hotaru looked down and sadly agreed.

That night, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the images of the dead villagers out of her head. The little boy in particular plagued her mind. She gave up on trying to sleep and got up to sit by the river. She stared up at the moon. All of the outer planets were visible tonight. Uranus and Neptune shone brightly on either sides of the constellation Aquarius, Pluto was closer to the moon tonight. The sparkling presence of her parents' guardian planets made Hotaru feel lonelier than ever. She could almost cry, knowing that she would probably never see them again. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face in her arms. She wanted to go home so badly.

She sensed Kikyo's presence before she heard the miko sitting down next to her. "It's always hard, seeing devastation like that. Especially for one so young."

"This isn't my first time seeing bodies." Hotaru stated. She recalled once more her memories of the war that destroyed the Silver Millennium, and the day she watched as all of the occupants of Titan Castle were senselessly massacred. "I know people kill for pointless reasons."

"It's the death of that child that's bothering you, isn't it?"

Hotaru looked at the miko in surprise. "How did you know about that?" She asked.

"Kohaku told me when you were looking for dinner." Kikyo said, "Besides, I could feel the guilt weighing on your heart."

"If I was only stronger, I could have saved him! But I couldn't! Instead I ended his life!"

"You did the right thing."

"It doesn't feel like it." Hotaru said, putting her head down again, "It just feels like I have even more blood on my hands now."

"There was nothing else you could have done. It might not feel like it now, but what you did was merciful."

Hotaru didn't reply, a gentle hand on her shoulder made her look up again. "Hotaru, very soon I will be unable to remain in the physical world. I'm sure you know by now the secret behind Kohaku's life."

Hotaru nodded, "The sacred jewel shard that's keeping him alive."

"Yes," Kikyo said. "Because of that jewel shard many evil beings will come after him. The guilt in his own heart will make him vulnerable to corruption. I've been trying to ease his pain, but he still feels so much guilt over his past. When I'm gone, you must remain by his side to protect his light. But you won't be able to do that if you yourself cannot overcome your own guilt."

Hotaru tightened her fists. She couldn't stand the thought of Kohaku dying because he blamed himself for something he couldn't control. Her own resolve shifted at Kikyo's words. "I'll protect him." She vowed, "No matter what."

**Author's Note:**** I'm getting kinda angsty aren't I? Sorry. I tried to pad it a bit with the cute little opening scene. I'll lighten up after Kikyo leaves, I promise. **

**Thank you for everyone who read and commented, extra points go to Aly for getting my trivia right: I gave Hotaru the princess name of Rhea for two reasons, she guessed one of them right: Rhea was the wife of Cronus, the Greek Equivalent of Saturn. Rhea is also the name of one of Saturn's bigger moons, which was the second reason I chose it. So congrats to Aly. I hope we're all a little more educated on our Greek Mythology. **

**Next chapter we meet up with Inuyasha's group. I hope you're all excited for that. **


	4. Hotaru's Promise

"Where are we?" Hotaru asked as she, Kohaku, and Kikyo had left their usual forested terrain to travel through the rugged mountains.

"I'm not sure." Kohaku replied, helping Hotaru over a particularly steep crag. "But Lady Kikyo senses Moryomaru, so Naroku's heart is around here somewhere."

"His heart?" repeated Hotaru.

Kohaku nodded, "In order to stop himself from being killed, Naroku cast out his heart and hid it in a different location. Without his heart in his chest, someone could rip him to shreds a million times and never do any permanent damage."

"That's disgusting." said Hotaru. Who was capable of tearing their own heart out? More over who would want to?

Kikyo stopped suddenly. "What's the matter, Lady Kikyo?" Kohaku asked.

"I can sense we're in the presence of another jewel shard bearer." replied Kikyo.

"Another jewel shard bearer?" asked Hotaru. Was another person being kept alive by the same jewel that kept Kohaku alive?

Before Hotaru had the chance to ask about it, there was a rumbling and the mountain they were on suddenly collapsed, a giant erupted from it. Hotaru nearly fell down into the abyss, but Kohaku managed to grab hold of her wrist with one hand and the edge of the cliff with the other. But that wasn't enough to save Kikyo. They watched helplessly as the miko fell. "Lady Kikyo!" They both yelled.

Hotaru started to slip. "Hold on!" Kohaku shouted.

"Your hand is sweaty!" Hotaru cried. She tried to get a grip on the side of the cliff so Kohaku could let go of her. She managed to get a foothold and pulled herself up. Both her and Kohaku struggled their way up to the top of the cliff and found a path down the mountain. They ran down, slipping and skidding down the steeper parts, after they made sure Kikyo was okay Hotaru would have to heal them both. They spotted the priestess standing at the bottom of a ravine.

"Lady Kikyo!" Kohaku shouted, he was the first to slide down the slope to meet their mentor. Hotaru was hot on his heels.

Kikyo sighed and mumbled something Hotaru didn't manage to catch. "Moryomaru is getting away." Kohaku announced. "We have to hurry."

Kikyo nodded. "Hotaru, you stay here." She said.

"I can fight too." Hotaru protested. "I'm a soldier, I'm stronger than I look."

"It's too dangerous!" Kohaku told her.

Hotaru shot him a hard look. "If it's too dangerous for me, it's too dangerous for you!"

"We don't have time to argue." Kikyo told them. "If you feel that you are strong enough, you can come with, but please stay back. Moryomaru is stronger than any enemy you've probably experienced before."

Hotaru didn't appreciate being patronized, but she couldn't blame them. She did look pretty small and defenseless, they had no idea what immense power being Sailor Saturn gave her. She transformed feeling more comfortable when her silence glaive materialized next to her and she was able to grab it.

When they reached the edge of the mountain range they saw a heavy purple mist hang over the valley.

"What's that?" Asked Hotaru.

"A demonic presence." Kohaku said, "It's growing stronger..."

"It appears that Moryomaru is not alone." Kikyo said, her voice was calm, but Hotaru could detect the slightest hint of worry.

"Naroku is there, too?" She asked.

Kikyo nodded. Kohaku's face hardened to a mask of hatred and determination. Hotaru took his hand and the three of them headed towards the ominous cloud.

Kikyo's eyes wided. "Moryomaru and Naroku's jewel shards are combining!" She said. This was the first time Hotaru had actually heard emotion in the miko's voice, the fear in that one sentence was enough to nearly petrify her. But she didn't have time to be scared, Kohaku broke into a run, so she matched her speed to keep up with him.

The sky got darker as they got further underneath the black cloud. Kikyo stopped once more, "Moryomaru has Koga's shards now..." She announced.

"What does that mean?" Asked Hotaru, not knowing who Koga was.

"It means we're running out of time." She said.

"WAIT! KIKYO!" A voice shouted.

Hotaru looked up to see a large white beast flying towards them, "Sister? Kirara?" Kohaku said.

The beast landed and two girls jumped off. One wore a modern day junior high uniform, the other wore a uniform nearly identical to Kohaku's only with red and pink accents instead of green and teal ones. Hotaru knew instantly that she must be Kohaku's sister Sango.

"Kohaku..." Sango said, her voice weak.

"Hello, sister." replied Kohaku.

"Kikyo, you intend to use Kohaku's jewel shard, right?" Said the girl in the school uniform.

"But, the shard is keeping Kohaku alive, right?" Hotaru said. "If you take it out won't he die?"

Kikyo's silence was enough of a confirmation.

"You told me you were trying to protect him!" Hotaru shouted. "You were planning on just using him!" Hotaru dropped her glaive and tried to charge at Kikyo but Kohaku intercepted her. Grabbing her around the waist to hold her back.

"Stop, Hotaru! It was my idea." He told her. "I was the one who came to her."

"You can't!" Hotaru yelled at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "You can't just give up! Please! You can't leave me! You're all I have here!"

"I know." He said, looking away, "I'm sorry."

Anger caused Hotaru to start shaking. "YOU LIAR!" She slapped him hard across the face. He didn't react, it was as if he felt like Hotaru deserved a chance to let her anger out.

"It's the only way to defeat Naraku." Kikyo said. "Please, forgive us."

"You lied to me, too!" Hotaru accused, "I TRUSTED YOU! I TRUSTED BOTH OF YOU!"

"Kohaku, please!" Sango pleaded as well. "I can't just watch you die!"

"This is the path that I have chosen." Kohaku said, both to his sister and to Hotaru.

"You've chosen wrong!" yelled Hotaru, pushing him away from her. She grabbed her glaive from the ground and ran from them, "I'll defeat Naraku myself!" She told them. "There's no way I'm letting you give up your shard!"

"Hotaru! Wait!" Kohaku shouted, he ran after her and tackled her to the ground. She tried to fight him off, but when it came to brute strength he easily overpowered her. "You don't know what you're doing! You'll get yourself killed!"

"Let go of me!" She yelled, trying to force him off. "GET OFF! I won't let you die! I WON'T! You can't just leave me! And you can't leave your sister! It's selfish and you know it!"

"Hotaru, listen! This is the only way! You've seen what Naroku's done! He has to be stopped!"

"Not like this!"

"She's right, Kohaku, please listen to her!" Both Hotaru and Kohaku stopped struggling when Sango caught up to them. She pulled Kohaku off of Hotaru and into a hug. "Just wait, Kagome and Inuyasha are trying to find another way."

Kikyo also caught up. "Kagome has gone to try to fight Moryomaru." She said, "We must go."

Hotaru gave the miko a hard look. As angry as she was at Kohaku, she felt even more betrayed by the priestess for some reason. "I won't let you give up Kohaku's shard!" Hotaru vowed.

"We'll worry about that later," Kikyo said. "Lets go."

Sango helped both her brother and Hotaru up. And they headed towards the sound of fighting. "By the way, who are you?" Sango asked.

"My names Hotaru Tomoe. Kohaku saved me from a demon a few weeks ago and I've been traveling with him and Kikyo since. My family's gone so they're all I have now." She shot Kohaku a glance at that last sentence. He looked away as if not able to face her.

The group reached a peak and were able to see the fight. A black haired man with no clothes on and half of his body encased in what looked like diamonds was fighting a man with long white hair and a all red kimono.

"That's Naroku." Kohaku said, hatred lacing his voice. "The man he's fighting is Inuyasha."

So many things happened next Hotaru had a hard time telling what exactly was going on. Kagome entered the fray, shooting an arrow at Naroku's diamond encased arm. From the diamonds emerged a small infant surrounded by a strange glimmering orb. From the other side jumped a dark skinned man with long black hair clad in brown pelts. From below someone shouted, "EVERYBODY GET BACK! WIND TUNNEL!" A bright violet light flashed and a tornado like wind started sucking everything in one direction. Kohaku pulled Hotaru close to him even though the wind didn't reach them. Hotaru was able to twist her body just enough to see a man at the bottom of the mountain holding out his hand, which had a vortex in the middle of it causing the wind to converge and be sucked in.

"MIROKU!" Inuyasha shouted.

"STOP!" Screamed Sango, "IT'LL KILL YOU!"

The man's face was hard and determined, but Hotaru could tell that he was drastically decreasing his own life by pulling in the cloud of miasma around Naroku.

"STOP!" Sango pleaded, "YOU HAVE TO STOP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"

"I CAN'T DO THAT!" Miroku shouted back.

"My Miasma will kill you long before you can suck me in." Taunted Naroku.

Miroku didn't waver, despite the cries of his friends. Hotaru saw his hand start to blacken. Blood started seeping from his eyes and the corner of his mouth. He coughed, discharging a large amount of it, but he didn't stop.

"MIROKU!" screamed Sango, she tried to run towards him, but Kikyo held her back. Something flew from the infant's hand and into the black hole. Inuyasha managed to reach Miroku and pulled his hand closed right before the man collapsed. Sango ran to him right away. Hotaru, Kikyo, and Kohaku followed.

"Out of my way." Hotaru shouted, nudging Sango over a little so she could get next to the wounded man. She immediately pulled the man's shirt back to see that the damage from the miasma extended all the way up his arm to his right breast. She placed her hands on the wound and they glowed. The others watched her in awe. She closed her eyes and was able to sense the man's imminent death. The poison had damaged a large portion of his lungs and was approaching is heart. It remained in his blood stream even now. She couldn't stop the miasma from spreading, but she could heal the damage that was threatening his life this instant. She focus on repairing his lungs and saw the visible result as the dark, dead looking flesh receded slightly, now stopping just below his shoulder instead of just above his heart. "There," She said. "Now his life isn't in immediate danger, but the poison is still in his body."

"I can attempt to purify it." Kikyo said. "But understand, a body that has absorbed this much miasma will likely never fully recover."

"Please do what you can." Pleaded Sango.

"We must get somewhere more sheltered." Kikyo said.

Inuyasha nodded and picked Miroku up. Sango rose with him, taking the unconscious man's hand. Kikyo also stood, Hotaru tried, but her attempt to heal Miroku drained too much of her energy. She fell back down, her transformation reversing. Normally healing people didn't take a toll on her, but the amount of damage she had to repair had taken a lot of power.

"Hotaru!" Said Kohaku, he rushed to catch and steady her. The others looked at them. "Go on ahead. We'll catch up."

"Kirara." Sango said, "Stay here with them." The big white beast nodded as if she understood.

Hotaru held her head for a second. "Are you okay?" Kohaku asked.

"Yes," She replied, "I'll be fine in a moment." Slowly Kohaku helped her to her feet. She had to lean heavily on him but he managed to walk her over to Kirara. He helped her on the sabertooth cat's back and then climbed on himself. They met up with the others in a forest not too far away.

Kikyo was already at work purifying Miroku's body. Night was falling fast so the group had built a couple of fires and were huddled around them.

"You should rest." Kohaku said.

"I'm fine." murmured Hotaru.

"Hotaru..."

"How long have you and Kikyo been planning to sacrifice your life to defeat Naraku?"

"Do we have to talk about that right now?"

Hotaru didn't reply, she just stared at her friend making it very clear that she wasn't willing to drop the subject. Kohaku sighed, "Since I started traveling with her."

Hotaru nodded, "So the entire time we've been together, you knew you were going to..." She broke off. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to scare you." Kohaku admitted. He looked up at her timidly. "I'm sorry, I really am."

Hotaru didn't know how to respond. She didn't know what she was feeling. Her whole being was hollow. How could this boy who she had spent some much time with, this boy she had laughed with, this boy who so easily smiled and joked with her...how could he be willing to give up his life? Was his past really so haunting that no life at all would be better than facing it? Or was Naraku really so deadly that this truly was the only way? She didn't even realize that tears were falling down her face until she felt Kohaku's hand wipe them off her cheek.

"Are you sure there's no other way?" She asked, her voice breaking a tiny bit.

Kohaku shook his head. "He can't be killed like an ordinary human. Completing and purifying the jewel is the only thing that can destroy him." Hotaru nodded. She couldn't tell him not to. She understood better than anyone Kohaku's position. Sometimes in war people have to make sacrifices, she knew that all too well. It was terrible and terrifying, but someone had to be brave enough to do it.

"I'll be with you." She said. She tried to keep her voice strong and steady, but it came out weak and frightened, "If...if there really isn't any other way to defeat Naraku...If you really do have to give up your shard..." Her stomach twisted, "I'll be there beside you. I won't let you die alone."

Kohaku looked like he was on the verge of tears himself, but he held steady. "Thank you." He said quietly. He pulled Hotaru into a hug. She was no longer able to hold back her tears and totally broke down in his arms. He let her cry herself out. Finally, once she was able to get a hold of her emotions, she wiped her face and suggested they moved to a fire with the others. They went to sit by Kagome, deciding it was best to leave Kikyo alone to focus. Inuyasha and the dark skinned man disappeared. Sango who had seen Kohaku sit, joined them as well.

"That's a elementary school uniform from my time!" Kagome said, as if she had just noticed what Hotaru was wearing. "Where did you get it?"

Hotaru blinked in surprise, she didn't even realize that Kagome was wearing modern clothes. "I'm from the 21th century. I went to school in Tokyo."

"So you're from Kagome's world?" Asked a small child who looked like he was probably part squirrel.

"I'm from Tokyo too!" Kagome said eagerly, "The year 2001."

Hotaru nodded at the year. "That's the same as when I'm from."

"How did you get here?" Kagome asked, "Did you come through the well?"

"Well?" repeated Hotaru. "No, I was attacked by a youma, somehow that brought me here." She didn't want to explain the details of her mother's garnet orb or her duty as the Guardian of Time.

"But if she's from your world..." Sango said. "Than couldn't she travel back through the well like you do, Kagome?"

"I don't see why not..." said Kagome.

"You can take me home?" responded Hotaru.

"I think so." Kagome replied, "Do you want to try? Next time I go home I can bring you with me." Hotaru could barely keep herself from jumping up and down in happiness. She would be able to see her parents again! But then she noticed Kohaku's reaction. His face seemed to darken ever so slightly. She knew he wouldn't say anything, but he didn't want her to leave.

"I can't." Hotaru said. "Not yet at least. I have to stay with Kohaku for now."

"You don't have to..." objected Kohaku, "I know how much you miss your parents..."

Hotaru took his hand, "You need me more than they do. I promised I'd stay with you until the very end."

"Thank you..." He murmured.

Sango watched the two of them. "I'm glad Kohaku has a friend like you." She said simply.

**Author's Note:**** I did finally get find a beta, but this chapter hasn't been proofread. I was going to wait but I'm leaving for Great Britain tomorrow and I won't be back til June so I wanted to get this up before then. Thanks for everyone who's reviewed so far. You all rock.**


	5. Sesshomaru Makes an Entrance

Kohaku and Sango had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Kirara, who had transformed from a giant sabertooth monster to the size of a house cat, was cuddled up between the siblings. The squirrel-child, who introduced himself as Shippo, had made his bed in Kagome's arms. Hotaru smiled a little to herself seeing the amount of love this group had for each other. She had managed to fall asleep as well, curled up against Kagome.

She had barely gotten any rest before Kohaku gently shook her awake. "Come on." He said, "Lady Kikyo is leaving."

Hotaru got up and they both ran to catch up with Kikyo. The miko was talking with Inuyasha, but they didn't hear what the two were saying.

"Kohaku, I guess you're leaving too." Inuyasha said.

"Yes, but I'm sure we'll meet again." Kohaku replied.

"Tell Miroku I hope he recovers quickly." said Hotaru.

"I will." promised Inuyaha. The two kids rushed to join their mentor. "Kikyo." Inuyasha said causing all three of them to look back. "Look after them." Kikyo nodded.

The small group walked until morning. They made it all the way to a village when Kikyo tensed. "What is it?" Hotaru asked.

"Both of you stay close to me." She instructed. She slowly lead them to a place where they could sit down. She seemed to be concentrating on something neither of them could see.

"What's going on?" Hotaru whispered to Kohaku.

"I don't know." He admitted. "But Naroku must be doing something."

In a field not far from where the group was sitting, they saw a girl collapse. Kikyo's face hardened and she stood up to walk towards the girl. Kohaku and Hotaru stayed in her shadow.

"Stand back." Kikyo said to the girl's mother. Kikyo took something from her shirt and blew it on the girl. Butterflies landed on the child and she came to. But suddenly spiderwebs shot out of no where and surrounded the priestess.

"Lady Kikyo!" Hotaru yelled.

"Stay back!" She shouted at the two kids, she threw two pieces of paper at them. In mid air the papers turned into two small girls who encased both Hotaru and Kohaku in a shimmery barrier and lifted them off the ground.

"No!" Hotaru shouted, not happy that the priestess seemed to be sacrificing herself to save them. "Lady Kikyo!" She reached out, but Kohaku grabbed her and held her still.

"We can't do anything." He said, the two girls led the orb away from Kikyo and flew into the forest. They came to rest in a cave, protected by the two creepy children. "Kocho and Asuka are Kikyo's shikigami." Kohaku explained.

It felt like hours that Hotaru and Kohaku sat in the cave. Kohaku seemed to be getting even more restless than Hotaru was feeling, she imagined he must be even more worried than she was seeing as he traveled with the priestess a lot longer. _She had better be okay... _Hotaru thought. Every now and then the barrier wavered and the shikigami girls' imagines faded in and out. Hotaru clenched her fist. _Please don't die, Lady Kikyo._

"I can see you."

Hotaru looked up, frightened to see a man looming over them. His presence felt similar to that of Naroku. She gasped and moved back. Kohaku's hand steadied her. "It's you!" He said. Hotaru could sense the fear in his voice.

"Run away!" One of the shikigami commanded.

"Yes, you must flee." said the other.

The girls attacked the man as Kohaku grabbed Hotaru's hand and pulled her away. They both ran as fast as they could away from the cave. Hotaru transformed while they were fleeing. "Who was that?" She demanded.

"Another one of Naroku's incarnations." replied Kohaku, not breaking stride.

"How many does he have?!"

"I don't know!" Admitted Kohaku, "But all of them are just as deadly as he is, if not more."

Hotaru gulped. "We may have lost Lady Kikyo's protection, but if we can put enough distance between us and that man I'll be able to use my silent wall to hide us..."

"You'll never manage that..." The man said coolly, he appeared in a tree in front of them. _So he can teleport?! _Kohaku threw his scythe at the man, but all that did was dispel the illusion. The man appeared floating above them a moment later.

"It's pointless." The man taunted. He opened a bottle and unleashed a hoard of snakes at them. The snakes attacked Kohaku, bringing him to the ground.

"No!" Hotaru shouted. She jumped, slicing the man in half with her glaive, but that was about as effective as throwing a pebble at him. He just appeared a little further away with a twisted smile.

"You fight passionately for such a little girl." He said.

She swept the blade of her glaive across the ground, "_Death Reborn Revolution!" _She shouted, a wave of energy roar towards him, but he avoided it by once again moving to the air.

"Nice trick." He said in a patronizing voice.

Another attack sliced through the air, but this one wasn't courtesy of Hotaru. She looked back, a man with long white hair wielding a sword stepped out of the woods.

"Oh, I see _your _tricks haven't changed." the black haired man said. "What brings you here, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Moryomaru's scent has disappeared." Sesshomaru replied in a cold voice. "I presume he was absorbed by Naroku."

Not entirely sure what was going on, but aware that this new comer was apparently on their side, Hotaru used this entrance to run to Kohaku, pulling the snakes away from him and starting to heal his wounds.

"So you've come to save these children?" said the black haired man. "How out of character."

"I noticed a foul smell and I came to get rid of it." retorted Sesshomaru. "And here you are..."

"Hate to disappoint but I must take my leave." the black haired man said, conjuring a origami crane and riding it away. "Perhaps next time you'll be so kind as to announce yourself."

The bushes rustled and a small girl and imp joined them in the clearing. "Kohaku!" The girl said worried, running to the boy's side. She dropped to her knees next to Hotaru. "Is he okay?"

"His life isn't in danger." Hotaru replied, still working to extract the miasma and heal her friend's wounds.

The little girl sighed in relief. "Good."

"Thank you for saving us, Sir." Hotaru said to Sesshomaru.

"That was not my intention." Sesshomaru replied, his voice cold and impartial. "I have a vendetta against Bakuya, you just happened to be in the way."

Hotaru wanted to react to his rudeness, but he didn't seem like the person who would take lip very well. Plus, intentional or not, he did still save their lives. "Thank you anyways." She mumbled.

Kohaku made a noise, drawing Hotaru's attention back to him. "Kohaku, are you alright?" the little girl asked.

His eyes partially opened, "Rin?" Kohaku asked, "Hotaru...we must...get to...Lady Kikyo..."

"I'll go myself." Hotaru said, "You're not strong enough."

Kohaku tried to get up, but made a sound of pain and fell back down, falling unconscious once more. Sesshomaru shot him a glance. He walked over to the boy and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. Hotaru was about to protest when she saw Sesshomaru sling Kohaku's body over the back of a strange two headed creature that looked like it was half horse, half dragon.

"Neither of you are going anywhere." Sesshomaru said in a cold monotone. "Not until you answer some questions." He turned to Hotaru, "Get on. Rin, you as well."

"Yes, my lord." Rin replied obediently. She rushed over to the dragon-horse and clammered onto it's back. Not knowing what else to do, Hotaru followed. She pulled Kohaku's body close to her own to make sure he didn't slip off.

The imp grabbed hold of Sesshomaru's boa and to Hotaru's amazement, Sesshomaru took flight. Even more startlingly, the dragon-horse joined him in the air. Hotaru tensed and held tight to both Kohaku with one arm, and one of the broad necks of the dragon-horse with the other.

"Don't worry." Rin said, brightly. "A-Un won't let you fall off. Even if he did, I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru will catch you."

Hotaru wasn't too convinced. They flew for a long time, finally Sesshomaru found a location he must have seen as fit to land at and they touched down. Rin jumped off the dragon-horse immediately, dusting off the front of her kimono as if she had done nothing more miraculous than ride a bike. Hotaru struggled off, careful to help Kohaku to the ground as gently as she could.

"Your scent is unnatural. You're neither demon, human, nor a hybred of the two." Sesshomaru accused Hotaru right away. "What are you? And why can I smell Inuyasha's scent on you as well as the scent of Naroku's miasma?"

Hotaru shrunk back at the man's instant interrogation. "We recently met up with Inuyasha and his group..." She replied, not sure why it mattered to this man. "He fought with Naroku, one of his friends was poisoned by Naroku's miasma, I helped Kikyo heal him..."

Sesshomaru's hard gaze didn't waver, "And why don't you smell human?"

She wasn't aware she gave off an unusual scent, and she could only guess why, "I'm not sure, probably because I'm not completely human...I'm a Sailor Soldier, though I was raised on Earth I'm from a different planet. My body has different qualities than a normal human."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. She could sense his distrust, but he said nothing more.

"No matter where you're from if you made enemies with Naroku you'd better watch out, little missy." Said the imp in an annoying high pitched voice. "A child like you has no chance against him!"

Hotaru shot the imp a hard glance, "I'm a lot stronger than I look!"

"Oh yeah?" said the imp sceptically, "You wouldn't last two seconds in a fight with Naroku."

"Jaken!" Snapped Sesshomaru.

The imp cringed in fear. "Yes, my lord?"

"Leave her be."

The imp looked frustrated, Hotaru decided to ignore him. "Your name is Rin?" She said to the girl who nodded, "Can you help me?" The girl nodded again. Hotaru pulled the bow from the front of her fuka and unraveled it so it was one long cloth, she then folded it into a small rectangle and handed it to Rin. "You see the river through the trees? Can you soak this in water for me and bring it back." Rin nodded and ran down to the river at the bottom of the embankment. It wasn't far and Hotaru could see her the while way there and back. She dutifully completed her task and handed the dripping cloth back to Hotaru, who used it to wipe the sweat from Kohaku's forehead.

Not knowing what else to do, Hotaru started singing. Partially because it calmed her nerves, partially because she knew that Kohaku liked it when she sang, and partially because that's what you did when someone was sick. You lulled them with music. When she was little and she fell ill, Michiru-mama would always play her to sleep with the violin and it would make her feel better.

"_Meaning to break the waves of the galaxy,  
Time never speaks of its end,  
Listen close for the breath of night,  
You'll hear the purpose of the stars,_

_It would be wrong to ever end love,  
It's reality that brings the heart to a halt,_

_I believe people are born to love one another  
I hope we never stop searching for that love ..."_

"Stop that insipid noise, child!" Jaken demanded.

"Leave her alone, Master Jaken!" Said Rin.

Hotaru gave Rin a small smile in thanks.

The sun had started to set before Kohaku finally woke up. "Hey." Hotaru greeted him, relieved that he had come to. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright..." he replied groggily, he looked around and suddenly became alert. "Where's Lady Kikyo? We have to get to her!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Hotaru told him. "You're need to rest."

"Yes," Rin agreed. "You're hurt pretty badly. Let us take care of you for a little while."

"Us?" Jaken repeated. "Having one child tagging along is enough! Don't think we're going to take along two more!"

"It's not up to you!" Rin said. "It's up to Lord Sesshomaru!" Hotaru looked at the girl in surprise, she had not intended to join them. She doubted that such a cold man would ever want to take them with. In fact, she wondered why Rin was with him in the first place.

"We have to get back to Lady Kikyo." Kohaku insisted.

"It's to late." Sesshomaru said. "The scent in the wind has changed."

Hotaru looked at him in horror. "You mean...Lady Kikyo is already dead?"

"No..." Said Kohaku. Hotaru took his hand, trying to both comfort him and control her own emotions. She had known Kikyo was very close to death, but it was still a harsh blow to find out she was really gone. She may had not always been the warmest of companions, but she had taken Hotaru in when she didn't have to. And she had protected both Kohaku and Hotaru as fiercely as a one of Hotaru's own parents would have. Her death was a devastating blow. Part of Hotaru wanted to just break down and cry, or run back to Kagome and beg her to lead her home, run to her parents arms and never let them go. But she couldn't. Kohaku needed her now more than ever. She had promised Kikyo that she would protect Kohaku, and she would not go back on her promise.

"It's nearly night." Sesshomaru said, "We'll stay here til morning."

Hotaru wasn't sure if he was talking about just himself, Jaken, and Rin, or if he was including Hotaru and Kohaku as well. Either way it was clear that they were all spending the night together. Hotaru would be lying if she said that didn't make her feel slightly relieved. Kohaku was hurt, and she was low on energy from healing him, they wouldn't be able to protect themselves if a demon happened upon them, or worse, if that man Bakuya returned.

"I'll find some food." Rin announced.

"I'll help you." volunteered Hotaru. She stood up and pointed sternly at Kohaku, "Stay."

Hotaru followed Rin into the woods, opting not to undo her transformation. She decided it would be best to stay as Sailor Saturn for a while, that way she could quickly defend herself in case of an attack, not to mention she had increased stamina. She was more comfortable as a civilian, but she couldn't deny the benefits of being a soldier, particularly in this feudal time.

Rin quickly ran ahead and found food. "These berries are my favorite!" She said. Hotaru looked to see Rin had practically tore the entire berry bush from the ground.

"You don't need to uproot the whole thing." Hotaru told her slightly entertained by the child, "We can't eat the leaves and branches."

"A-Un can!" Rin replied, "He likes the sharing with me."

"Oh. Okay, then." Hotaru said, she joined the girl in gathering branches. They gathered some mushrooms and roots as well.

They returned to camp, Jaken and Kohaku were sitting by a small fire. A-Un, was lying by the bushes. Sesshomaru was no where to be found.

Rin sat between A-Un and Kohaku. Hotaru sat next to her.

Rin immediately started munching on this and that, occasionally handing A-Un something that she couldn't eat. Hotaru joined in, but noticed Kohaku hadn't touched a thing but was instead gazing into the fire.

"You need to eat, too." she told him.

"I'm not hungry." he replied.

Hotaru got up and sat directly in front of him, their knees were practically touching. "Kohaku..." She took his hand. "There's nothing you could have done for Lady Kikyo."

"I know..."

"Look at me." She said, he obliged. "She would want us to keep going, you know that. But in order to do that you have got to keep your strength up." She put food in his hands. "Eat."

Kohaku looked kept their eyes locked for a few more moments before he finally sighed and submitted, taking a bite of the mushrooms she gave him.

Satisfied, Hotaru returned to sitting by Rin. "So does he bite?" Hotaru asked, holding out a handful of leaves to A-Un.

"No, he's very gentle." Rin said, "Aren't you, A-Un?"

The left head made a noise that sounded like he agreed as the right head nibbled the leaves out of Hotaru's hand. Hotaru smiled and petted it's mane, which was a lot softer than she had expected. The left head looked jealous and headbutted Hotaru's arm.

"Un!" Said Rin strictly. "That's not polite!"

"It's fine." Hotaru said, she petted the left head's mane as well. Both heads rested themselves on Hotaru's lap, looking content. She smiled, that's how Luna and Artemis acted when she scratched their necks as well. After a while, Hotaru laid down by the fire. Kohaku laid next to her. Over the last few weeks, Hotaru and Kohaku had often slept with their backs pressed against each other, or else huddled together for warmth, so that didn't surprise Hotaru at all. What did was that Rin curled up next to Hotaru, which she didn't particularly expect. The small girl nestled down right against Hotaru's stomach. The girl must have really taken to her, Hotaru thought in shock. It was also probable that Rin was starved for companionship of someone closer to her age, much like Kohaku was when he and Hotaru first met. Hotaru decided to accept this and wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her closer. She closed her eyes and fell into sleep.

**Author's Note:**** I'm back in the USA! Admittedly I didn't get a whole lot of writing done on my trip, but I did get lots of knew ideas while I was traveling through the 500 year old castles of Ireland so I'm excited to keep this story going :D**


	6. The Path to the Underworld

The next morning, after they woke and had breakfast, Sesshomaru, Jaken, Rin, and A-Uh started traveling again. Unsure what to do, Hotaru and Kohaku followed, although they hung back by a few meters.

Neither of them spoke much. Both of them were still feeling the heavy loss of Kikyo weighing on their hearts. They weren't even sure if Sesshomaru would continue to allow them to tag along, Jaken certainly seemed against it, making rude comments every time he looked back to see the two still following.

"How do you know them anyways?" Asked Hotaru, just conversationally. She couldn't take the silence any longer, it just made her dwell on the fact that Kikyo was gone.

"Sesshomaru is Inuyasha's brother." Kohaku answered.

"Really?" said Hotaru in disbelief. Their hair and eye color were the same, but the air in which they held themselves was completely different. She had guessed they were the same species, but she wouldn't have guessed in a million years that they were related, let alone brothers.

"Half-brothers!" Jaken called back angrily, obviously hearing the two's conversation. "Don't lump the great Lord Sesshomaru in with that filthy half-demon!"

"Half-demon?"

"Yes, you fool! Couldn't you tell? That lowly Inuyasha only has half demon blood. His mother was a filthy human."

"Master Jaken! That's not nice!" Said Rin, "I'm a human and you don't think I'm filthy do you?"

Only now did Sesshomaru look back, ever so slightly. His evil gaze was on Jaken as if to ensure that the imp's answer wouldn't offend the young girl.

"Oooh, of course not..." He mumbled, obviously picking up on his leader's death glare. "But that is different..."

Rin broke away from her place in the caravan and slowed down to match Kohaku and Hotaru's pace.

"They're hunting after Naraku as well, so we've bumped into each other every now and again." Kohaku continued answering Hotaru's question as if never interrupted.

"Kohaku's protected me a lots of times!" Rin said brightly, "We're friends now, aren't we, Kohaku?"

"Yeah..." The boy murmured, though he looked down in shame. Hotaru wondered what more there was to the story.

It seemed like everyone who was after Naraku knew each other.

The two friends fell silent again and continued walking. Around midday, Sesshomaru finally stopped as if he was waiting for something. Hotaru and Kohaku sat down to rest.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get you to your priestess in time." Rin said.

"There was nothing we could have done, anyways." replied Hotaru sadly.

Suddenly something swooped overhead causing all of them to look up. "What's that?" Hotaru asked, standing up. Rin clung to her side, Hotaru tightened her grip on her glaive while Kohaku drew his scythe. Sesshomaru growled and then transformed into a giant beastly dog.

Hotaru pulled Rin closer to her.

Sesshomaru started fighting with the other dog in the sky. It was actually fascinating to watch. The two seemed to dance in the sky, neither one wanting to truly hurt the other, but neither one going easy. Finally the two flew back to Earth and reverted back to human forms. The other dog was a woman, very beautiful, but with very cold eyes. She looked a lot like Sesshomaru, and they held themselves in the same manor.

"Sesshomaru, I thought that might be you." The woman said. Jaken yelled at her about being disrespectful, but she ignored him. "I can only guess you have questions about the Tenseiga your father left you. I can think of no other reason why you would come to visit your mother."

Hotaru's jaw dropped, this woman was Sesshomaru's mother?

She looked up nonchalantly, "I don't care to talk of important business in an empty field, you may have lost all your refinement, but others still have our dignity. Lets move this conversation somewhere more suitable." This obviously pissed Sesshomaru off, even more when she flew away without letting him reply.

"Come on." He said. His boa, which Hotaru was terrified to see moved on it's own, lay itself before the four of his companions. Jaken and Rin held on to it immediately, Hotaru and Kohaku looked at each other and nodded, they didn't seem to have any other choice. As soon as they were all grasping it tightly, Sesshomaru took off. Hotaru didn't like traveling like this one bit. She kept feeling like she was going to slip. Sesshomaru brought them to a large castle hidden behind the clouds.

The woman was sitting on a grand thrown when they arrived. "Sesshomaru, if I recall, you used to despise humans, did you not? Yet here you are with three human children in your company. Perhaps you intend to eat them?"

Sesshomaru seemed to chose to ignore her comment. "Tenseiga can be used to open a path to the underworld. Father must have told you about it at some point."

Hotaru recalled the attack Sesshomaru used to drive off Bakuya last night. She had thought she felt something weird when his attack hit, but she was too focused on saving Kohaku to dwell on it at the time. So, he could open a path to the underworld as well. Sailor Saturn had the power to freely open a path to the underworld and travel there at her leisure. Queen Dione had done it multiple times and had often taken Princess Rhea there for training. Though Hotaru could remember this, she couldn't remember how to do it and was always to afraid to try.

To absorbed in her own thoughts, Hotaru didn't have time to react to a giant hell hound appearing in front of them. She knew it was a hell hound, she could remember _them _very well from her past life. Sesshomaru tried to attack the hound, but it was useless. The hound flew towards Hotaru, Kohaku, and Rin and scooped them up into its mouth before any of them could defend themselves.

Hotaru was aware that she was in the hell hound's belly. A thick, putrid liquid surrounded her, clinging to her body. She tried to reach out for Kohaku. She felt hair. She followed it with her fingertips until she reached a face, she could tell from the size and contours that it was Rin. She pulled the girl close and continued searching in the blackness until she felt Kohaku and pulled his body to hers as well. Neither of them were moving. Were they unconscious? Or... She was too disoriented to sense if they were alive or not.

Suddenly something cut through the blackness. She felt herself falling. She landed hard on the stone ground of a cliff, coughing and trying to get her bearings. There was no doubt from the overwhelming presence surrounding her. She was in the path to the underworld. She wasn't all the way there yet, but she was very close. She looked up to see Sesshomaru, he immediately checked on Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru..."

"It appears you are able to move." He said, "Perhaps it's because you are not truly human."

Kohaku came to a second later. "Where are we?" He asked.

Before anyone could answer more creatures came to attack. "Take Rin and run away." Sesshomaru commanded.

"Yes, sir." Hotaru replied, Kohaku lifted the unconscious child only his back and started running. But a shock ran through Hotaru, she wasn't unconscious. There was no life left in her. She was dead.

Kohaku and Hotaru ran as fast as they could, but something attacked them, destroying the path they were on. Sesshomaru managed to grab them and set them down further ahead.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." Hotaru said, "Rin...she's dead..."

"What?" demanded the demon.

Kohaku checked the child on his back, "It's true, she's not breathing..."

"Put her down!" Sesshomaru told Kohaku.

The boy complied, lying Rin gently on the ground. Sesshomaru crouched over her, drawing his sword. His eyes narrowed, he seemed to be waiting for something that wasn't happening. He clenched his sword, his face showing anger.

A wave of darkness engulfed them all and when it passed, Rin was gone. "Rin!" Shouted Hotaru. Sesshomaru promptly ran after her, Hotaru and Kohaku struggling to keep up. They were getting further and further into the darkness.

Hotaru held out her glaive, "_Underworld Illumination!" _She called. A sphere of soft violet light surrounded them, making it easier to see. Her stomach clenched, how would they ever find Rin?

Another light appeared in front of them. "Sesshomaru..." His mother's voice called out, "Keep walking towards me and you'll be able to return from the underworld. However this path I have opened will soon close, and once it does you will never be able to return to this world."

"Kohaku, Hotaru." Sesshomaru said, "Take this path while it is open."

"What?" They both said. Sesshomaru turned and continued on. _He must really care about Rin. _Hotaru thought. Both she and Kohaku looked at each other and non-verbally agreed. They followed Sesshomaru. The feeling of death had started to overwhelm Hotaru, but she kept strong. A wind had started pulling their hair and clothes forward. Kohaku was having a hard time fighting against it. Of course they wanted him, he was technically one of the dead. The underworld wanted to claim him. Hotaru took his hand and gripped it tightly. _You can't have him!_ She thought fiercely.

"Keep your center of gravity low." She advised, knowing subconsciously how to survive in this place.

They saw a large creature walking amongst piles of corpses at least a few kilometers high. In the creatures hand was Rin's small body.

Hotaru ran forward, "Let that child go!" She commanded, her body emitted a brighter light than it ever had before. She felt power and superiority flowing through her. The creature turned to look at her. Several other inhabitants of the underworld appeared as well.

"Young princess," Voices echoed throughout the darkness. "It has been many years since you've visited the underworld. It appears since your last visit you have awoken your powers as a true Sailor Guardian."

"What?" She heard Sesshomaru's voice.

"I am Sailor Saturn." She announced, both for her companions and to cement her position in the eyes of the ones she was facing. "I am the Guardian of Death, Revolution, and Rebirth. I have authority in this void. I order you to return that child to us."

"As you wish." The voices said. The creature laid Rin's body at Hotaru's feet.

"Return her life as well." Demanded Hotaru.

"You cannot command us to do such a thing." The voices replied, "You are our guardian, not our god. You do not have the power to make us return life to one who is dead."

"If I can't command than I will beg. Please, this girl is still young and has infinite potential. There is no reason why she must die now."

The voices were quiet as if considering. Finally they replied. "If we return the child's life here, it will just be lost again. Humans can not survive in the underworld. Her life must be returned to her in the land of the living. If you agree to ferry it back using your own body as it's protection, you'll be able to revive her."

"I'll do it." Hotaru said without hesitation.

"Know that it will be very painful for you."

"I'll do it." Hotaru repeated.

"Very well..." Several small balls of light zoomed towards her, converging on her chest. She fell to her knees and screamed in agony. She had shared her body with another consciousness before and expected pain, but not like this. Rin's life force grafted itself onto Hotaru's body, clinging to every part of it. For Hotaru it felt like white hot clamps were squeezing her own life out. Her body seemed to be splitting in two. Her soul fought against this new one's invasion. It wasn't the _worst _pain she had ever experienced, but it was definitely on the top ten. She thought she was going to pass out, but managed to keep herself in control. The pain dulled and she became aware of Kohaku beside her by his touch and voice, she couldn't see him because she kept her eyes firmly shut.

"Hotaru! Are you okay?" He asked, fear in his face. "Hotaru!"

She shook her head, trying to indicate she couldn't speak. She didn't want to lose her composure and she knew she would if she opened her mouth.

"Can you stand?" Kohaku asked. Hotaru shook her head again. "Do you want me to help you?" She nodded. She felt him pull her arm around his neck and put his other hand around her waist. He pulled her to her feet, though she was just barely able to stand putting any weight on them. Kohaku was realized this and picked her up completely, though he stumbled a bit under her weight.

She felt a portal open and was aware that they had passed back into the land of the living. She opened her eyes a sliver to see they were back at Sesshomaru's mother's castle. Kohaku brought her to the throne where Rin was already lying. She could hear Sesshomaru arguing with his mother, but ignored it. The sooner she returned Rin's life, the sooner she could be out of this pain. She placed her hand on the girl's chest and focused on returning her soul to her. The pain of Rin's life leaving her was worse than when it entered her. It felt like every nerve in her body was being ripped away. She fell to the ground as soon as she heard the little girl cough. Her transformation reverse because she didn't have enough energy to maintain it.

"Hotaru!" Kohaku managed to stop her from hitting the ground too hard.

"I'm okay..." She gasped. "I just need a second..."

"This is the second time you've pushed yourself to exhaustion healing someone." said Kohaku, "You have to be more careful."

She could feel worry radiating off of him. "I'm fine." She assured him. "I just need to rest for a little while."

Rin had fully came to and pushed herself to a sitting position. Hotaru was relieved to see the little girl looked perfectly healthy, although a bit confused. As soon as she was strong enough to leave, Sesshomaru gave his mother a curt goodbye and turned to leave. Kohaku helped Hotaru to her feet and they trailed behind. "Lets stick with them for a while." He suggested. "If anyone can defeat Naraku it's Lord Sesshomaru."

Hotaru agreed. Their best chance was with out a doubt sticking with the dog demon. Though she was started to become seriously concerned about what else this feudal era could bring.

**Author's Note: ****So, I know technically speaking Pluto should be the one would can travel to the underworld, not Saturn. But in SM Pluto was always associated a lot more with time than death so I figured she'd be too busy watching the gate of time to go to the underworld. **


End file.
